


Coming home for Christmas (to find a surprise)

by nevvy



Category: Emmerdale, robron
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2018-12-07
Packaged: 2019-09-13 13:30:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16893516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nevvy/pseuds/nevvy
Summary: Aaron’s been gone a week and Robert is being Robert.





	Coming home for Christmas (to find a surprise)

It is the day before Christmas Eve. The snow is covering the village, giving it a cozy touch. It’s slippery on the road so Aaron drives carefully, it would be a laugh if he went off the road now, so close to home. He and Liv are returning from London, Aaron’s treat, a well deserved quality time, just the two of them. She’s still beaming, no wonder, Aaron’s wallet is much lighter now and Liv is sporting a brand new outfit, jacket, trousers, shoes, the whole lot.

Christmas shopping in London is something Aaron never thought he would like but, hey, only the idiots don’t change their minds, right? He can’t wait to see Seb’s face when the boy opens his present on Christmas Day. Aaron has even managed to find a pair of matching jumpers to the four of them and giggles thinking about what Robert’s reaction is going to be.

Oh, London has been amazing but it’s good to head home after a week. Big cities do have their charm but there is nothing like home. Especially now with the festive season approaching and knowing Seb is staying with them all the way to the New Year, as Rebecca and Ross enjoy their holiday in Mexico.

Aaron parks the car and starts unloading the luggage. Liv goes inside, wanting to hug Seb as the two of them hasn’t seen each other for over a month. She’s out as quickly as she got in, waving at Aaron, a strange smile on her lips.

‘Yeah, wait a sec or give us a hand with all of this’ he says, dragging the heavy bags along.

‘You need to see this. Just leave it all outside and come in.’

‘What is it, has something happened?’ Aaron’s is slightly annoyed as he has dropped one of the bags on his right foot. 

‘Just go in and see for yourself. But be quiet.’

He leaves the bags and follows after his sister, slightly puzzled. The sight greeting him is not the home sweet home he’s been fantasising on the way back. There are towels spread all over the living room, traces of something white and sticky on almost every furniture, toys everywhere, something smelling strange, flour (?) on the floor with footprints in it, the sofa is covered with what looks like chocolate spread (Aaron really hopes it’s chocolate spread) and in the middle of it there is Robert slumped in, what looks like a very uncomfortable position, his legs dangling at one end, one arm hanging down and the other around Seb’s shoulders. The boy is fast asleep an so is Robert. Liv giggles like a maniac and Aaron smiles to himself, thinking she’ll stop once it dawns to her that she’ll have to help with tidying up here.

‘Leave him alone for a week and we’ll need to sanitise the place down’ Aaron mutters.

‘Haha, aren’t they cute’ Liv is still giggling and Robert opens one eye, looking a bit confused.

‘Hey, sleepyhead’ Aaron smiles at him. ‘What’s happened here?’

‘Shhhh, you’ll wake him up. He’s just fallen asleep... I think. What time is it?’

‘Like five pm. Why are you sleeping on the sofa?’

‘Our bed is covered with... oh, never mind, I’ll clean it later.’

He gets up, trying not to wake their son up. Luckily, Seb isn’t bothered, he is a heavy sleeper.

‘Why are you sleeping at this hour at all?’

‘Because I’ve been awake every night, the whole week.’ Robert wipes his forehead, there are traces of the same brown substance on it. 

‘What’s going on, why?’

‘He’s got chicken pox. It started the day after you went to London. He’s not sleeping, he’s not eating, he doesn’t want to play alone, he wants me all the time, I haven’t eaten, or slept, I don’t even know when I last changed my clothes, oh, wait, it was yesterday, he threw up on me, I had to shower us both... I don’t even know what day it is, I thought you were coming back tomorrow.’

‘Whoa whoa, slow down, Robert.’ Aaron can’t help but smile at his idiot husband. ‘Why didn’t you call me? We would have come home.’

‘I didn’t want to spoil your holiday. I thought I could manage, why wouldn’t I? Well, it turns out I’m rubbish at this, the house’s a mess, he’s a mess and I’m a mess...’

‘No, you’re not’ Aaron hugs him. ‘But you could have called mum or Vic or someone.’

‘I didn’t want to bother them, it’s my son and my responsibility.’

‘Yeah, yeah, why doesn’t it surprise me? I’ll tell you what, go and lie down and I’ll take care of this, okay? Just go, me and Liv will clean up here and take care of Seb.’

‘There is vomit in our bed’ Robert says tiredly.

‘Go to my room then’ Liv steps in. ‘Just go, like Aaron says.’

Reluctantly, Robert listens, dragging his feet upstairs. ‘I love you. Both of you’ he states before disappearing behind the door to Liv’s room.

‘Okay, I’ll start in our bedroom and you just collect all the loose items lying around here’ Aaron commands. ‘And keep an eye on Seb in case he wakes up.’

Together they manage to make the house habitable again in less than two hours. Liv finds the box with the Christmas decorations and the ‘hideous’ (according to Robert) plastic Christmas tree is up as well. Aaron showers then and when he’s out, Seb has just woken up.

‘Dada!’ he exclaims at the sight of Aaron. 

‘Hello, little man. Looks like you’ve been giving your dad a hard time here, right?’ 

The boy seems to be feeling better, he’s clearly excited to hang out with someone else than Robert, after being confided inside the whole week. Liv plays with him and Aaron makes supper for the three of them. Robert is still asleep and Aaron decides not to wake him, he probably needs rest after this week from hell. 

It’s still hard to believe though that Robert didn’t ask anyone for help, why does his pride always get in the way? Chas would have been delighted to help, Aaron’s sure of that, so would Vic. Or Diane. Or even Chartiy. Next time he goes away from home he will have talk to all of them, making sure they check up on Robert, even if he doesn’t want it. They will have to do it discreetly or something.

It’s half past eleven when Robert finally comes down, his hair a mess and his cheeks looking flushed. Liv and Seb are asleep in the double bed and Aaron has been planning sleeping on the sofa, once the chocolate is cleaned away.

‘Hiya’ Robert says, cuddling up with his husband. ‘Thanks for letting me rest, god I really needed it. Surprisingly though I could use with a few hours more. I’m knackered.’

‘You look the part too. I’ve redecorated as you can see, your attempt to bring a Christmas spirit to the house using flour and chocolate wasn’t the best idea.’

Robert chuckles. ‘I tried to make pancakes with chocolate, he wouldn’t eat it either. Or anything else.’

‘Yeah, I guessed as much. We’ll have to buy a new sofa, we’ll never get rid of the marks. But don’t worry about this now. Seb’s asleep in our bed, I’ve cleaned it too.’

‘Thanks’ Robert rests his head on Aaron’s shoulder. ‘I’m glad you’re home.’

‘I’m glad too, missed you a lot. Want a bite to eat? I’ve made supper earlier, there’s plenty left.’

‘Not hungry’ he says sleepily and Aaron notices that he is quite warm, not newly -awoken-warm, more feverishly warm. Looking at him closely, Aaron spots some red bumps on his husband’s right cheek.

‘Robert?’

‘Mmmmmhhh?’ comes a drowsy reply.

‘Did you have chicken pox as a child?’

‘Don’t know. Did I?’

Oh, nice. 

‘You tell me. Because it looks like you’re having it now.’

‘What?’ Robert is suddenly wide awake.

‘Go to the mirror and take a look for yourself.’

Robert gets up clumsily and goes to the bathroom. ‘Well, that would explain why I feel like I’ve been hit by a buss.’

‘You’ll have to call the doctor tomorrow and make an appointment, I think it’s a bit more serious when you get it as an adult. And I guess the big Dingle Christmas party is out of the question for our part, at least.’

Robert lands on the sofa again, snuggling down beside his husband. ‘I don’t care’ he states, yawning. ‘As long as you’re here, I don’t care.’


End file.
